A decision has been made to hold a Baibalaa tournament entirely outside the Maldives for the first time, with preparations underway for the competition to begin in Malaysia on the 17th of this month.
The tournament is being organised by the Maldives Association for Development Initiative (MADI), an organisation established to create better opportunities for Maldivians living in Malaysia. The competition is being held in collaboration with the Baibalaa Association of Maldives.
MADI said the decision to organise a Baibalaa tournament in Malaysia was made because sports such as football and basketball are already played by Maldivians living there, with competitions in those sports also regularly organised for the Maldivian community. However, Baibalaa is a traditional Maldivian sport that, until now, has never been played as a competitive sport in another country. The association therefore said it wanted to introduce and organise this distinctly Maldivian sport in Malaysia.
MADI said five teams will participate in this edition of the tournament, with the teams including Baibalaa players who have previously achieved notable results. Some teams also include players who have previously won the title of Mr. Baibalaa, according to MADI.
